The European environment — state and outlook 2020: knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe

"Europe’s environment is at a tipping point. We have a narrow window of opportunity in the next decade to scale up measures to protect nature, lessen the impacts of climate change and radically reduce our consumption of natural resources.

Our assessment shows that incremental changes have resulted in progress in some areas but not nearly enough to meet our long-term goals. We already have the knowledge, technologies and tools we need to make key production and consumption systems such as food, mobility and energy sustainable.

Our future well-being and prosperity depend on this and our ability to harness society wide action to bring about change and create a better future."

Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director

The European environment – state and outlook 2020 is published by the EEA every five years as mandated in its regulation. SOER 2020 is the 6th SOER published by the EEA since 1995. It offers solid, science-based insights on how we must respond to the huge and complex challenges we face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and air and water pollution.

SOER 2020 has been prepared in close collaboration with the EEA’s European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet). The report draws on the Eionet’s vast expertise of leading experts and scientists in the environmental field, across the EEA’s 33 member countries and six cooperating countries. SOER 2020 was accompanied by a stakeholder interaction process which engaged a wide range of actors in discussion of the conclusions of SOER 2020 and their implications to inform responses to sustainability challenges.

SOER 2020 was accompanied by a stakeholder interaction process which engaged a wide range of actors in discussion of the conclusions of SOER 2020 and their implications to inform responses to sustainability challenges.